Emergen-C Vitamin Supplement Fizzy Drink Mix
The joy of constant travel is being exposed to hacking seatmates, sniffling hotel clerks, and germ-factory immigration or TSA officers (imagine how many peoples’ travel documents these people touch in a day without washing their hands and then touch yours!). That’s why any experienced traveler should always have backup. Vitamins, fresh fruit, hand sanitizer, and green tea are all favorites.
A fairly recent newcomer to the marketplace is Emergen-C, which is a powdered fizzy drink mix that comes in individual travel packets and packs a mean punch of antioxidants and illness-fighting vitamins to protect your immune system when added to a glass (or bottle) of water.
It contains 24 different nutrients including 1,000 milligrams of Vitamin C, electrolytes, and seven different B vitamins. Another benefit is that there is no caffeine meaning it won’t keep you up on that long-haul flight where you need to catch some Zs. I also liked that there was no after taste, which is often the case with some vitamins in pill form.
While it is perfect for daily use, the individual packets are very convenient to being on the road. Unlike Airborne, which features hefty-sized pills that come in a slightly heavy tube, these thin packets are almost weightless and perfect for slipping into your pants or coat pocket (or purse). An Airborne tablet would need to be wrapped into a tissue for quick use later.
It was a bit annoying to have all the individual packets swim all over my suitcase during a long trip (Airborne tablets would be in one tube), but nothing is perfect. They do come in boxes for those going on long trips.
There are different formulas for a variety of uses like one for children whose immune system would not need the same high level of certain ingredients as an adult’s. Other special versions include one fortified with extra calcium for bone health, one with Glucosamine and Chondroitin for joint health, and another with lycopene and plant sterols for heart protection.
The company even sends out free samples on request by visiting http://www.emergenc.com/free-samples.
Priced less than $1 per packet and often sold in bulk boxes, this is a great travel accessory especially since it can be tailored to your individual health needs. Its fun array of fizzy flavors from pomegranate to dragon fruit mean that taking Emergen-C will never get boring. It is available at Emergen-C’s website, local drugstores, grocery stores, or on Amazon.com.
Posted by Ramsey in Adventure Gear, Business Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on May 21st, 2012
Easy Set-up Family Tent From Grand Trunk
My natural reaction was to be skeptical when I saw this Grand Trunk tent billed as “The easiest tent to set up in the world.” We’ve all heard that one before, right?
So I pulled this out of the carrying case, unrolled it, and took a crack at it with my 11-year-old daughter. Some thirty seconds later, no lie, she jumped inside our set-up tent and said, “Cool!” It wasn’t just the easiest tent I’ve ever set up, it was the first one where I haven’t had to look at the instructions or wrestle with a bunch of hinged-together poles I was trying to get through fabric tunnels. In fact I didn’t look at anything. I just pulled up the handle, locking it into place on top with the attached hook. Done!
Once open, it’s billed as a “4-man tent” or a family car camping tent. That gives you some clue to what the catch is: this is a rather heavy tent you would not want to carry very far. It comes in a bag that would not qualify as a carry-0n if you were flying and it weighs 15 pounds. If you’re using it for its intended purpose though, who cares? It’s big, easy to assemble with the attached fiberglass poles, and well-made without any shortcuts to make it ultralight.
This Grand Trunk tent has a front door and a back door should you choose to use them without the rain fl. There are lots of no-see-um mesh opening with flaps you can zip closed, and places to stake it into the ground. My daughter liked the little stowaway pouched on the sides and at the “loft” top, plus there’s a hook for hanging a lantern. An attached flap extends out from the front for leaving your hiking boots outside. The included rain flap not only protects the tent, but it extends out over this vestibule flap to keep those boots dry or give one person a place to sit with their head dry.
The tent itself is 95 X 95 inches—more than 7 feet/2.3 meters in each direction. That’s a little tight for four if anyone is too plump, but downright spacious for three or a family with one or two small children. We fit in a twin Aerobed mattress and two sleeping pads and had room to spare.
When you’re finished, take-down is just as fast as the set-up, with it easily fitting into the carrying case without knowing any origami. Just like that, you toss it in the car and you’re off.
The Grand Truck Easy Set-up Tent for Four is available direct from Grand Trunk for $225 or check prices online at REI and Overstock.com.
Posted by Tim L. in Adventure Gear, General Gear, Kids and Family on May 17th, 2012
Scout ‘Stiff One’ Cooler
When Scout asked me if I’d try out one of their new soft-sided coolers in time for summer travel, I admit my first thought was, ‘but I already have a soft-sided cooler.’ As does everybody, right? So what makes the Scout ‘Stiff One special enough to feature here? In a word: design.
The Stiff One (by the way, all Scout products have fun names that will go right over your kid’s head–hopefully–but make your grandmother blush) is a traditional cube shape of 14x12x9, made out of standard insolated, coated polyester, and is water resistant, but what sets it apart is its hard, flat bottom. Not only does this bottom keep the cooler upright even in the back of the car or on uneven surfaces (think riverbanks, lakesides, and less-than-perfect picnic spots), but…wait for it…it does not leak. Not at all! Until trying the Stiff One, I’d never met a soft-sided cooler that didn’t get soggy and drippy as the ice inside melted, and had all but given up on using them (even when my large hard-sided cooler was overkill). Thanks to the Stiff One, I can pack lunch for a day at the lake and not look like I’m planning to be gone for a weekend.
The Stiff One comfortably fits a six-pack of your preferred beverage, plenty of sandwiches, and extras like fruit, cheese, yogurt, etc. We easily fit a lunch for a family of five, or a variety of snacks for an afternoon away. On a recent soccer trip, I packed sports drinks on ice for a half a dozen thirsty boys. (And did I mention the lack of leaking?) Aside from the hard bottom, it features a three-sided double-zipper at the top (top-loading), and two outside side pockets, big enough to fit silverware, cutlery, or a stack of paper plates. The sturdy fabric shoulder straps are generous in length, velcro together for easier carrying, and are nice and thick. The interior is water resistant and wipes clean, as you’d expect in any soft-sided cooler.
What I wish it had: a slide-in pocket for an ice pack, preferrably on the underside of the lid. There’s space for a large ice pack on the bottom, but it’d be nice to tag-team it.
The Stiff One’s hard bottom is by far its best feature, but it’s probably not what you’d notice first: these coolers come in fun, funky colors and patterns. Half the fun is picking which one you’d like on the Scout website. I choose Indigo Girl (shown), which, if I do say so myself, looks quite classy at the beach or on the road. It also comes in Racy Lacy (black and pink), Meryl Stripe (pink stripe), Flashback Paisley (spring toned paisley), and Barbara Stripesand (in either coral or blue toned stripe). See what I mean? No matter which you choose, this cooler screams fun. The colors and designs are certainly more geared to women than men, but hey, whatever floats your boat.
The Stiff One’s a good value at $38, and will make for a versatile travel companion throughout the summer months. I anticipate bringing it along on winter ski days as well…it will certainly be easy to spot amid all the plain colored coolers in the lodge. Find it at the Scout site or at Amazon for a few dollars less. While you’re purusing the site, check out all the other totes and bags Scout makes: they’re all equally colorful and fun.
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Posted by Amy in General Gear, Kids and Family on May 15th, 2012
Eagles Nest DoubleNest Hammock
I’ll admit it: When traveling in Central America, I often want to bring home a colorful hammock. It’s the image of relaxation, and I always think the colorful mesh bed will be the perfect thing in my yard. Now that I’ve discovered the Eagles Nest DoubleNest Hammock, my shopping days are over.
Yes, it’s a pretty strong statement, but after testing the hammock in my yard and on a short camping excursion, there are a few reasons why I love it:
Portability
Those big colorful mesh hammocks are pretty, but they’re murder on a backpack. The DoubleNest Hammock measures 6’8” by 9’4” and weighs 22 ounces. It packs up into a compression bag that’s smaller than a travel pillow (about 4” by 5”). Even when you include the smaller bag that contains the straps for the hammock, there will be plenty of room left in your bag. That’s not the case for your souvenir hammock.
Size
The hammock truly fits two people and is extremely roomy for one. The breathable nylon hammock seems so delicate, but will fit a maximum weight of 400 pounds, and the nylon interlocked stitching helps keep everything solidly strong.
Straps
The hammock suspension system from Eagles Nest allows your hammock to get set up super fast. The .75” UV-treated nylon webbing is easy to adjust. All you have to do is wrap it around a sturdy object, pass an end through the loop, pull it tight and attach the hammock to your desired length. There is a selection of loops to which you can attach your hammock, so you don’t have to worry about finding the perfectly spaced trees or other objects.
The Eagles Nest DoubleNest Hammock lists for $64.95 on the Eagles Nest website or check prices on Amazon and Backcountry.com.
There’s also a slightly more expensive Double Nest version with Insect Shield protection from the bugs. See the details here.
Posted by Jill in Adventure Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on May 11th, 2012
Vapur Flip-top Element Anti Water Bottle
Want to buy a water bottle? There are a zillion of them out there to choose from, with variations on the color, materials, and opening. There’s one that really generates some double-takes when I use it though: the collapsible water bottle from Vapur.
I reviewed the original Vapur collapsible anti-bottle late last year, so why am I returning to it now?
Well, this one has a different top. Yeah I know, that doesn’t sound like much of a big deal and I didn’t get all that excited when a rep handed one to me on the floor of a gear trade show I attended. Was it really that hard to open the original one?
Not really, but this one is a whole lot more convenient because you can open it with one hand, without using your teeth. And there’s no little plastic cap to lose. See with this new flip-top version, you can pop it open with the same hand that’s holding it, which is great if your other hand is holding a camera. Or a walking stick. Or a ledge on the side of a cliff you’re climbing.
Since the flip-top keeps the water from leaking out, you can drink straight out of this without sucking. Simpler and quieter, plus you don’t have to feel like a baby. The top assembly screws off for cleaning and drying. There’s an attached plastic ring on the top
Like the original version though, this water bottle has lots of advantages. It can roll down tight to store in your bag when you’re not using it—like when you’re going through security or checking a bag. If it’s half full, it doesn’t still take up the same amount of room as when it’s full. And the really cool part is—pun intended—you can freeze it. Fill it up with water, put the whole thing in the freezer, then you’ve got ice cold water while you’re hiking, for hours. Or you can use it as an ice block in your cooler. After it melts, you’ve got fresh water.
The one downside of these is they’re more bag than bottle, so when they’re not full, they won’t easily go into a bike cage or some backpack holders. So they do better playing back-up than the lead role. On the plus side, kids love the novelty.
These Vapur Element bottles come in four colors representing fire, wind, and water. There’s a 1-liter one, but it’s much easier to find the regular size, which is 7/10 of a liter. These retail for $11.99 if you buy direct from Vapur, but check prices online at Summit Hut too.
See more water bottle reviews from this travel gear blog.
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Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Kids and Family, Travel Light on May 2nd, 2012
